Abstract

Classroom disruptive issues have been rigorously studied for decades. Some of the top research studies from nearly 40 years ago, deal with how instructors handled children through praise and reprimands (Gable, Hester, Rock, & Hughes, 2009). Classroom management has become an important area of research as schools have begun to lose many of their instructors due to burnout. Williams (2011) found that burnout was particularly high in Gen Y instructors causing them to drop at a rate 51% more frequently than past generations. It is important to consider some behavioral factors for an improved student an instructor experience. As part of this research, there are five areas addressed where educators can focus attention to improve classroom interaction. The strategies for classroom management reviewed here are based on the work of Dahlgren, Mala, Faulk, and Lattimer (2008); these include (1) Student mood awareness and rapid teacher response (SMARTR™), (2) “Teach-T’os™” teaching-to classroom rules, (3) Refocus™: eliminating multiple warnings and repeated requests, (4) Student and teacher relationships: unconditional positive regard, and (5) classroom arrangement and design. The results include benefits for teachers, students, administrators, and family members. The classroom management techniques studied here demonstrated benefits for the modern classroom that limit the time instructors spend with behavioral issues and focus that time on teaching students instead.